Uprkos popustu, potrošili smo veliki iznos.

Because uprkos normally takes the dative case in Serbian.

The base noun is popust (discount). Its dative singular form is popustu, so:

• popust = nominative
• popustu = dative

So uprkos popustu literally follows the pattern despite + dative.

A few similar examples:

• uprkos problemu = despite the problem
• uprkos kiši = despite the rain
• uprkos teškoćama = despite the difficulties

Here, uprkos is a preposition meaning despite / in spite of.

It introduces an idea of contrast or concession: something happened even though there was a reason it might not happen.

So in this sentence, the idea is: there was a discount, but even so, we spent a large amount.

Uprkos is a very common and standard way to express this idea.

Yes. Two very common alternatives are:

• i pored + genitive
• bez obzira na + accusative

So you could also say:

• I pored popusta, potrošili smo veliki iznos.
• Bez obzira na popust, potrošili smo veliki iznos.

The differences are mostly about style and structure:

• uprkos + dative = compact, neat, often slightly more formal
• i pored + genitive = very common and natural
• bez obzira na + accusative = more like regardless of

For a learner, all three are useful, but uprkos is perfectly normal here.

Because Uprkos popustu is an introductory phrase placed before the main clause.

The comma helps mark a short pause and separates the contrast-setting phrase from the main statement:

• Uprkos popustu, = despite the discount
• potrošili smo veliki iznos. = we spent a large amount

In Serbian, punctuation with short introductory phrases can sometimes be a matter of style, but this comma is very natural and helps readability.

This is the past tense in Serbian.

It is formed with:

• the l-participle of the verb
• plus the present-tense auxiliary form of biti

So here:

• potrošili = past participle form
• smo = auxiliary meaning we in the past-tense construction

Together:

• potrošili smo = we spent

This is the normal Serbian past-tense pattern:

• radio sam = I worked
• radili smo = we worked
• potrošili smo = we spent

Because Serbian often drops subject pronouns when they are not needed.

The form smo already tells you the subject is we, so mi is unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

Compare:

• Potrošili smo veliki iznos. = We spent a large amount.
• Mi smo potrošili veliki iznos. = We spent a large amount. (emphatic)

So the version without mi is the normal neutral one.

Because potrošiti is the perfective verb, while trošiti is the imperfective one.

• potrošiti = to spend up, to spend completely, to spend a certain amount
• trošiti = to spend, to be spending, to spend habitually

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about a completed result: in the end, we spent a large amount. That is why potrošili smo fits well.

If you said trošili smo, it would sound more like:

• we were spending
• we used to spend
• we spent in an ongoing/process sense

So potrošili smo veliki iznos is the natural choice for a completed, whole event.

The form potrošili agrees with the subject in number and, in the plural, also in gender.

Here it is plural, because the subject is we.

• potrošio sam = I spent (masculine speaker)
• potrošila sam = I spent (feminine speaker)
• potrošili smo = we spent (masculine plural or mixed group)
• potrošile smo = we spent (all-female group)

So potrošili smo is the standard form if the group is mixed or all male, or if gender is not being specially specified.

Because veliki is an adjective modifying iznos, and the adjective must agree with the noun.

Here:

• iznos is masculine singular
• it is the direct object of the verb
• for a masculine inanimate noun, accusative singular looks the same as nominative singular

So:

• veliki iznos = a large amount / a large sum

This is also a very common collocation in Serbian, especially when talking about money or finances.

Iznos means amount or sum, and in this sentence it most naturally refers to a monetary amount.

Because the sentence also contains:

• popust = discount
• potrošili = spent

the financial meaning is very clear.

So veliki iznos here is basically a large sum of money.

A more everyday way to say something similar could be:

• potrošili smo mnogo novca = we spent a lot of money

But veliki iznos sounds a bit more formal or financial.

Yes, Serbian word order is fairly flexible, but not completely free.

This sentence could also appear in other natural orders, for example:

• Potrošili smo veliki iznos uprkos popustu.
• Mi smo, uprkos popustu, potrošili veliki iznos.

However, the auxiliary smo is a clitic, which means it is unstressed and has placement rules. You cannot move it just anywhere.

The original sentence is very natural because:

• the contrast phrase comes first: Uprkos popustu
• then the main statement follows: potrošili smo veliki iznos

That order emphasizes the surprising part first: even with the discount, the amount spent was still large.

You may sometimes encounter velik, but for learners, veliki iznos is the safest and most natural choice here.

In modern standard Serbian, veliki is the form you will most commonly use before a noun in a phrase like this:

• veliki problem
• veliki grad
• veliki iznos

So if you are producing your own sentence, use veliki iznos.